In short: under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations, if a delay or cancellation is within the airline's control and not required for safety, you may be owed CA$400 to CA$1,000 from a large airline, or CA$125 to CA$500 from a small one. The amount depends on how late you arrive.
Which flights are covered?
All flights to, from and within Canada, including connecting flights, on any airline.
Three categories of disruption
| Category | Examples | Compensation? |
|---|---|---|
| Within the airline's control | Scheduling, crew availability, overbooking | Yes, if you were told 14 days or less before departure |
| Within control but required for safety | Safety-related maintenance and decisions | No, but rebooking or refund rules apply |
| Outside the airline's control | Weather, natural disasters, air traffic control | No, but rebooking or refund rules apply |
Delay and cancellation compensation
| Arrival delay at destination | Large airline | Small airline |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to under 6 hours | CA$400 | CA$125 |
| 6 to under 9 hours | CA$700 | CA$250 |
| 9 hours or more | CA$1,000 | CA$500 |
A large airline is one that transported 2 million or more passengers worldwide in each of the two preceding calendar years. If your ticket is refunded instead of rebooked, compensation is CA$400 (large) or CA$125 (small).
Denied boarding
If you're denied boarding for reasons within the airline's control, compensation depends on your arrival delay: CA$900 (under 6 hours), CA$1,800 (6 to 9 hours) or CA$2,400 (9 hours or more).
How to claim
- Send a written compensation request to the airline within one year of the delay or cancellation.
- The airline must pay, or explain why it won't, within 30 days.
- If you disagree, file a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency.
Amendments to the APPR have been proposed. At our last review, the amounts above were in force.